And then, since about 2007, South Africans have started peeping over the parapet and coming out as food bloggers. Some are living abroad like me, others are still in South Africa, while others are foreigners who have emigrated to South Africa - but the wonderful thing is that they all write about the tastes of the place my heart calls home, to a greater or lesser extent.

I started this directory of South African food and wine bloggers here on CookSister as a way to keep track of the the ever-increasing number - and the growth seems to have continued exponentially! I encourage you to cast your eye over the growing list, and to go and browse their diverse interpretations of South African food and wine. And if you know of a blog (must be predominantly about food and must have strong South African connections) that I have missed, please drop me an e-mail and I will add it.

On a (fairly!) regular basis I will also feature short interviews with some of the bloggers on the list below so that you can get to know them a little better.